Course:LIBR548F/2009WT1/Book Of Kells

Description

The illuminated manuscript known as the Book of Kells contains a handwritten copy of the text of the four gospels in Latin. The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations and embellishments and was created by monks circa 800AD. The book was made using treated calf (vellum) skins which were cut into folios (leaves) that were eventually bound together. The inks and pigments used came from a variety of sources including: crushed oak apple; soot; red lead; white lead; orpiment; verdigris; indigo; and lapis lazuli. Currently it consists of 340 folios numbered 1-339 (number 36 is used twice). Each folio is referred to by either its front (recto) side, or its reverse (verso) side, for example, a portrait of Christ appears on fol. 32v (reverse side of folio 32). The Book of Kells was created in a scriptorium. Many scribes, scribe-illuminators and illuminators were involved in the creation of the Book of Kells. Some of those who illuminated it have been given special names such as the Goldsmith and the Portrait Painter.

Date and Place of Origin

The exact date and location of this Insular manuscript’s creation is not known (Insular manuscripts were created in the islands off the coast of Western Europe). Some scholars believe it was created by the monastic community founded by St Colum Cille on the island of Iona off the western coast of Scotland and was later moved, because of Viking raids, to the order’s monastery in Kells, County Meath, Ireland. Other scholars believe it was either completely created at Kells, or partly worked on there after its removal from Iona.

Significance of the Gospels

The choice of the four gospels can be explained by their central importance in Christianity. Christians treat them as the word of God recording the life and teachings of Christ. They therefore play a central role in individual contemplation, public religious services (e.g., the mass), and, when produced in luxurious forms, as objects for public display reinforcing the sacredness of the gospels. Scholars disagree on the primary function of the Book of Kells (e.g., as religious artifact or to be used during masses), but because of its large format (currently 33.0 x 25.5cm) and luxurious detail it is unlikely it would have been used solely for individual contemplation. This is not the first or last example of a luxury Gospel book. Other examples include the Rabula Gospels (6th century), the Lindisfarne Gospels (7th century), the Barberini Gospels (8th century), the Lorsch Gospels (9th century), the Gospels of Henry the Lion (12th century) and the Peresopnytsia Gospels (16th century).

Artistic Achievement

The Book of Kells has been praised for a number of reasons: the extent of the illuminations; the high level of skill and artistic imagination they display ; their variety and level of detail; the accomplished way in which the illuminations complement, highlight and interpret the meaning and significance of the individual words, phrases, and stories from the gospels, as well as the way they display important individuals in the gospels (Christ and the Virgin Mary) and the gospel writers themselves (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). It is likely that Giraldus Cambrenis travelling in Ireland in 1185 was describing the Book of Kells when he wrote:

So delicate and subtle, so exact and compact, so full of knots and links, with colours so fresh and vivid, that you might say that all this was the work of an angel, and not of a man. (Topographia Hibernia)

The Book of Kells has received meticulous study and interpretation. These studies help contemporary readers understand the significance of the book's images, colors, and layout and how much of an artistic achievement they represent. For example, the folios contain a variety of animal imagery including: peacocks, hares, cats, rodents, eagles and lions all of which had important religious significance in the Middle Ages that is not so clear now.

Threat, Loss and Damage Over 1200 Years

That the Book of Kells still exists is remarkable considering all that has happened to it in the last 1200 years. Apart from threat from Viking raids in the 8th and 9th centuries, it was also briefly stolen in the 11th century and came under threat in the 17th century due to the destruction of the parish of Kells by Cromwellian forces. This danger led to its move in the late 17th century to Trinity College Dublin where it still resides. The manuscript has also suffered various forms of physical damage including water damage and iron staining. Those responsible for taking care of it have also caused it damage including significant cropping and gilding of the edges (19th century). Some rebindings incorrectly arranged the folios (since 1953 it has been bound into four separate volumes). During a 19th century inventory it could not be found. There are also an estimated 30 folios missing (when they went missing is unknown).

Current Status

Public awareness of the Book of Kells has grown considerably especially because of its use in tourist advertising and merchandising including, coloring books, postcards, clothing and jewelry. There have also been facsimile editions of it including one limited edition of 1480 ($16,000 each) published in 1990. Currently the Book of Kells is seen each year by 500,000 visitors to Trinity College Library, Dublin.

Recommended Resources

Bernard Meehan (Keeper of Manuscripts, Trinity College Dublin) provides an introduction to the manuscript outlining its history, the significance of various images used, and analyzes important illustrations in detail. Kennedy’s book also analyzes particular folios, but also discusses illuminated manuscripts in general, and the legacy of the Book of Kells exemplified in other illuminated manuscripts. The DVD-ROM allows the viewing of all folios digitally, zooming into details, searches for types of images, and includes many informational videos.

Board of Trinity College Dublin. (2008). The Book of Kells [DVD-ROM]. Dublin, Ireland: X Communications.

Kennedy, B. (2000). The Book of Kells and the art of illumination. Canberra, Australia: National Gallery of Australia.

Meehan, B. (1994). The Book of Kells. London: Thames and Hudson.